Soap box

Ok, give me just a moment to drag my soap box out. So, now that I'm on it, when did we decide that giving it our all became less and less of a priority? I know that life is demanding, I live every day minute by minute just as the rest of society, but when did it become socially acceptable to become complacent? If there is something that I really want to do, I find time, but when it becomes inconvenient for me or a little too demanding, I just don't have the time. I can, and have used the excuse, "I just don't have time, " or "so-and-so is too busy, we can't..." When do we stand up and finally say enough is enough?! Baseball can wait, hunting doesn't matter, shopping will be there tomorrow, relationships, if worth keeping, will hold for a few minutes. We have this "here and now" mentality. I want it, so give it now. When I played the clarinet, I had to work for what wanted. When I put practice off I sounded just that, off. Ok, so I sounded BAD when I didn't practice, but one day I learned that if I put some effort and passion into what I wanted, it paid off. When I was in the 8th grade I was competing for a solo part. I wanted that part so badly I could taste it. I practiced and practiced and eventually my hard work paid off and I was playing a beautiful solo piece in the top band at the Bass Hall. I don't know if you know anything about the Bass Hall, but for a kid of 12, that was a huge accomplishment. If we want to succeed at anything, we must be willing to put time aside consistently to achieve our goals. There are no excuses for failure, and failure is only achieved when you refused work at something to prefect it.

Many kinds of love

     I love to laugh more than anything in the world! There's no greater feeling in world than the rush of dopamine surging through your brain sending signals to your entire body to be happy. Although the bible refers to laughter in a generally scornful manner, there is a small section that speaks about a season for everything and my favorite verse says that there is, "a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance" (Ecclesiastes 3:4). It's not a thought provoking scripture, but it gets right down to the point. Life becomes so murky that we don't make time to feel. All four of these verbs are so emotionally rich that if not taken care of can destroy us.
   How many times have you felt like a good cry would make everything better? Or when that stupid happy dance allows us to express that spark of excitement. And while mourning is typically a consequence of loss, is a way to remember; whether you make it a sorrowful mourn or an enlightening one, that is up to you, but from personal experience, laughter is always the constant in all of those. When we cry those that love us say something so stifle the tears. I have a habit of saying the wrong things that makes any situation awkward, ensuring laughter because no one knows what to think at that point. Do I feel like an idiot? More than you would think, but laughter is where my heart lies and however I have to get there, so-be-it.
     The thing I love most, after laughter, is my niece, Hannah! I only put laughter in the forefront because to know Hannah is to know laughter. She is the funniest kid, ever. Only at 17 months old, the kid has a natural ability to take an audience captive and make them laugh. I adore everything about her.  She encompasses everything thing that both Jen and Ryan possess. Now, if only I can find a way of stealing her. Is it weird to say that I want to be like her when I grow up? She lights up any room she walks in to, from her beautiful smile to her wonderful laugh, to her glowing blue eyes. There is such a kindred heart in her that as she grows older I can only hope becomes a beacon of happiness to others. God has great plans for her, I can feel it in my bones.
     My third and final love is singing and music. When I am laid to rest I hope the one thing people remember about me is that I love to sing. I can't carry a tune, nor do I have a pretty voice, but when it comes to giving God my all, singing is what I
do best. I have heard, and I, too, believe this, to an extent, that church shouldn't rely on music. Music is not what makes a church service great, but I do believe that music ushers in the presence of God. The bible references the use of music, therefore I don't believe in giving God my little, I want to give Him my all. What I love most about music is the passion and dedication involved. You don't expect for music to just happen, you have to work at it. Practice, practice and practice some more even when you think it's great.